1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to heat pump split system type air conditioners including an indoor section and an outdoor housing including an outdoor heat exchanger, fan motor, fan, motor-compressor, and associated refrigeration system components, and more particularly to a compartmentalized outdoor housing including a first compartment for containing the outdoor heat exchanger and fan for moving air therethrough and a second insulated compartment containing the fan motor and the refrigerant motor-compressor.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In many reverse cycle split heat pump refrigeration systems, the refrigerant motor-compressor is located in the outdoor unit so that heat from the motor-compressor case will not be transmitted to the indoor air being cooled during summer operation, and in fact heat from the compressor case is given up to the outdoor air circulated through the outdoor compartment and heat exchanger. This arrangement is disadvantageous in winter operation in that the heat from the compressor case is not utilized during the winter.
With reference to U.S. Pat. No. 2,978,881, the motor-compressor shell which houses the compressor and its motor is insulated along with portions of the discharge line. With the unit operating in the heating mode, this arrangement retains most of the motor-compressor heat in the system during winter operation, with the result that this heat will ultimately be carried by the circulating refrigerant to the indoor coil and there be rejected.
Referring now to U.S. Pat. No. 2,959,933, an air conditioning unit is disclosed wherein the heat generated by the compressor, the motor driving the compressor, and the electrical components forming the control system for the unit is made available for incorporation into the system under certain operating conditions. The compressor is isolated from the outdoor heat exchanger by a partition including a damper. The damper remains closed when ambient temperatures are below a predetermined level so that radiant heat generated by the compressor and the motor driving the compressor is trapped in the insulated compressor compartment. Thus the system operates at a higher discharge temperature which in turn provides higher temperature refrigerant for liquification in the indoor heat exchanger operating as the system condenser in the heat mode.